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SEATTLE — Needing answers to stave off elimination, the Colorado Avalanche found quite a few Friday in a 4-1 series-tying win in Game 6 against the Seattle Kraken.

Exactly how did the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche force a Game 7 on Sunday against the upstart Kraken at Ball Arena? They had what everyone in their dressing room collectively described as their strongest and most complete performance of the postseason to this point.

“I think it was the most complete of this series,” said Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen, who finished with a goal and an assist. “We haven’t had a full 60 yet, like a full good 60. But today we did. We played three good periods even though they scored the first goal against. But we stuck to our identity.”

All the items that challenged the Avalanche through the first five games of the series became details that aided them to keep their season alive.

The Kraken scored first for the sixth straight time this series. It’s just that Game 6 saw the Avalanche score four straight goals, with a few of those coming from unexpected faces.

Rantanen scored the game-tying goal with 20 seconds left in the first period. Yet it was veteran defenseman Erik Johnson who scored what proved to be the winning goal with more than 13 minutes left in the second period.

The Avalanche’s longest-serving member played 63 games this season without scoring a goal, only for his first of the year to be the one that kept his team alive. Johnson’s goal was also significant because it was the first goal to be scored by a player outside the Avalanche’s top-six forward group or a defenseman who wasn’t Devon Toews or Cale Makar.

“[Pavel Francouz] told me before the game I was going to have a hat trick, so he’s mad at me after the game that I only had one,” Johnson joked. “At my point in my career, I’m trying to do whatever I can to help the team win. If that’s put a goal in the net, if that’s blocking a shot, if that’s making a big hit, you gotta adapt your game and evolve as the game evolves.”

Getting a pair of goals from winger Artturi Lehkonen solidified the Avalanche’s lead. But it was what they did in the build-up around those goals that allowed them to find separation from the Kraken.

One of the ways the Kraken kept the Avalanche in check was with an aggressive forecheck that takes away time and space while also limiting scoring chances.

The Avalanche’s forecheck did just that against the Kraken. It’s how they were able to limit the Kraken to one goal on a series-low 23 shots.

Another avenue the Avalanche used for success was by controlling the puck. The Avs finished with 38 shots and had a shot-attempt percentage of nearly 57%, according to Natural Stat Trick.

And even though the Avs were 0-for-5 on the power play, they still generated more consistent movement in Game 6 than they did all series.

“We finally got to wear them down,” Avalanche forward Evan Rodrigues said. “We were hanging onto the puck and making them defend. When you’re consistently in the o-zone like they were to us in the first five games, you have energy to defend. I thought we started to take it to them. We were getting first on pucks because their D was starting to get tired and that’s what’s been key for us all year and I thought we finally did that tonight.”

It has been a hectic week for the Avs, one that started with them dropping two straight games to fall into a 3-1 series hole. Then came the Thursday revelation surrounding Valeri Nichushkin, the hulking Avalanche two-way forward who hadn’t played since Game 2 and was indefinitely ruled out for the rest of the series for what Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said were “personal reasons.”

“There’s a lot of off the ice things going on like we all know,” said Rantanen, one of the team’s three alternate captains. “But I think we were still dialed in about just winning the one game and see what happens in Game 7. I feel like guys kept it together really well and we were dialed in.”

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

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Cubs blow lead in 10-run 8th, storm back in thriller

CHICAGO — Kyle Tucker had the fans on their feet, roaring and pumping their fists as he rounded the bases after hitting the go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning. His screaming line drive cleared the right-field wall with plenty of room to spare.

The Chicago Cubs went from giving up 10 runs in the eighth to scoring six in the bottom half and beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-11 on Friday in one of the wildest games on record.

The two teams combined for 21 runs in the seventh and eighth innings, with the Cubs scoring 11 runs and the D-backs plating 10. It was the first nine-inning game in MLB history in which both teams scored 10 or more runs from the seventh inning on, and the third game overall, according to ESPN Research.

“That’s kind of baseball,” Tucker said. “There’s a lot of ups and downs in this game, especially with how many games we play.”

There haven’t been many games like this, though.

The Cubs are just the seventh team in at least the past 125 seasons to allow 10 or more runs in an inning and win. They are also the fifth team to give up 10 or more runs and score six or more in the same inning.

The 16 combined runs in the eighth were the most in an inning at Wrigley Field, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“If you’ve seen that one, you’ve been around for a while,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said with a laugh. “It was crazy. You know, we gave up 10 runs in an inning and we won. So it was a wild game, but we kept going, and, you know, there’s 27 outs in a game and this kind of proves it, and you’re just happy to get out with a win.”

On a warm day with the ball carrying, Carson Kelly homered twice. Ian Happ belted a grand slam and Seiya Suzuki went deep, helping the Cubs open a weekend series on a winning note.

“You’ve seen it early — having some tough losses, coming back winning the next day,” Happ said. “Losing the first game of the series, winning the series. Little things like that. Today’s a great example of professional hitters going out there and continuing to have really good at-bats.”

The way things transpired in the final two innings was something to see.

Kelly hit a two-run homer in the second against Corbin Burnes, and Happ came through with his grand slam against Ryne Nelson as part of a five-run seventh. But just when it looked as if the Cubs were in control with a 7-1 lead, things took a wild turn in the eighth.

Eugenio Suarez cut it to 7-5 with a grand slam against Porter Hodge, Geraldo Perdomo singled in a run and Randal Grichuk put Arizona on top by one with a two-run double. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a three-run homer, making it 11-7.

The crowd of more than 39,000 let the Cubs hear it, but their team regrouped in the bottom half. Bryce Jarvis hit Nico Hoerner leading off and walked Pete Crow-Armstrong before Kelly drove a three-run homer to center. Tucker, the Cubs’ prized offseason addition, came through after Happ singled with one out. Suzuki followed with his drive against Joe Mantiply to give the Cubs a 13-11 lead.

Arizona, which had won five straight, became just the third team over the past 50 seasons to lose a game in which it had a 10-run inning at any point, according to ESPN Research.

“You just got to stay locked in,” Kelly said. “Obviously, you don’t want to … give up 10 in an inning. Obviously, you don’t want to do that. I think the biggest thing is coming back, regrouping and continuing to fight.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

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Chisholm suspended 1 game for conduct, tweet

Major League Baseball suspended New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount, the result of his actions during Thursday night’s win against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Chisholm was ejected in the seventh inning by plate umpire John Bacon for arguing after a called third strike on a full-count pitch from Mason Montgomery that appeared low.

Minutes later, he posted on his X account, “Not even f—ing close!!!!!” then deleted the post.

“I didn’t think before I had anything that I said was ejectable but after probably,” Chisholm said after the game. “I’m a competitor, so when I go out there and I feel like I’m right and you’re saying something to me that I think doesn’t make sense, I’m going to get fired up and be upset.

“I lost my emotions. I lost my cool. I got to be better than that. … I’m definitely mad at myself for losing my cool.”

Michael Hill, the league’s senior vice president for on-field operations, said Friday’s discipline was for Chisholm’s “conduct, including his violation of Major League Baseball’s Social Media Policy for Major League Players.”

MLB regulations ban the use of electronic devices during games. The social media policy prohibits “displaying or transmitting content that questions the impartiality of or otherwise denigrates a major league umpire.”

Chisholm did appeal the decision, allowing him to play in Friday night’s 1-0 win against the Rays. He started at second base and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

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First-time father-to-be Ohtani away from Dodgers

ARLINGTON, Texas — Shohei Ohtani is away from the Los Angeles Dodgers for the birth of the two-way superstar’s first child.

Manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers’ series opener Friday night against the Rangers that Ohtani was with his wife and going on MLB’s paternity list.

“He and Mamiko are expecting at some point. That’s all I know,” Roberts said. “I don’t know when he’s going to come back and I don’t know when they’re going to have the baby, but obviously they’re together in anticipation.”

The 30-year-old Ohtani posted on his Instagram account in late December that he and his 28-year-old wife, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan, were expecting a baby in 2025.

“Can’t wait for the little rookie to join our family soon!” said the Dec. 28 post that included a photo showing the couple’s beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that was covered by a baby emoji.

Ohtani can miss up to three games while on paternity leave. The Dodgers have a three-game series in Texas before an off day Monday, then play the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.

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